India has the world’s third-largest Muslim population, about 14.2 percent of the total population as per the last census held in 2011….reports Asian Lite News
The 54 Union Ministries and 93 Departments under their jurisdictions in New Delhi have a total of 11131 officials from the secretary level downwards, of which 178 are Muslims, according to data published in a new research book, Muslims in India – Ground Reality Verses Fake Narratives – Achievements & Accomplishments.
This is history’s lowest-ever representation of Muslims in the Union governance levels, remarked the book penned by Mohammed Abdul Mannan, author of 12 books including the latest, A Nation in Descent – India after the 1990s. Both books are available on Amazon/Kindle.
India has the world’s third-largest Muslim population, about 14.2 percent of the total population as per the last census held in 2011.
Their cultural and religious identity have been getting shredded and the community has been fighting an increasingly open hate and discrimination agenda. Life for the 200 million-strong community has remained in a whirlpool of front-paged discrimination in every socio-economic domain. No Muslim representation has existed in the Union cabinet since July 2022, a first in history.
There are no Muslims among the 52 officials at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), a first in history since this office was set up in 1977. Earlier, the PMO was considered a part of the government in 1961 by the allocation of business rules. PMO was originally set up as the Prime Minister’s Secretariat (PMS) in 1947.
In the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, five Muslims are among 710 officials, including one at the Under Secretary level, two at the Additional Secretary level, and one Deputy Commissioner. Of the four Muslim officials at AYUSH, one is an Under Secretary. At the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, one is an Under Secretary. One of the two Muslim officials at the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s 94 staff is a Joint Secretary, a woman.
Similarly, one of the four Muslim officials at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry is a Deputy Secretary. The Ministry of Cooperation has only one Muslim, a Deputy Director, among its 49 officials. Among the 159 staff at the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, seven are Muslims, including one Under Secretary. The Ministry of Culture counts three Muslims among its rank of 93 officers, including an Under Secretary. The 207 officials at the Ministry of Education included five Muslims including an Under Secretary.
Nine of the 559 employees at the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology are Muslims. At the Ministry of External Affairs, one of the 115 officials is a Muslim, a Regional Passport Officer. Of the nine Muslims in the total 304 officials at the Ministries of Environment, Forests and Climate Change and Food Processing Industries, one is an Additional Secretary and two are Undersecretaries.
One of the 89 officials at the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is a Joint Secretary. The Secretary of the Ministry of Heavy Industries is a Muslim, one of the two Muslims among 113 officials. Of the 345 officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs, four are Muslims including Deputy Director General. Two of the four Muslim officials at the 262-staff Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs are Under Secretaries.
The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has Muslims as two of its 129 officials, including a Deputy Director-General. Six of the 356 officials at the Ministry of Labour and Employment are Muslims, including a Joint Director and Deputy Director. One of the four Muslim officials at the 136-staff Ministry of Mines is a Joint Secretary.
A similar scenario prevails at the Ministry of Minority Affairs with four of the 68 staff being Muslims, including a Joint Secretary and Deputy Secretary. One of the two Muslim officials at the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways is an Under Secretary. One of the four Muslims among the 216 staff at the Ministry of Power is a Joint Secretary.
Among the 375 officials at the Ministry of Rural Development, nine are Muslims, including an Assistant Director. One of the four Muslim officials at the Ministry of Raod Transport and Highways is an Additional Secretary – they are among the total 281 officials. One of the 89 officials at the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship is a Muslim, a Joint Director. A similar scenario prevails at the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation which has a total of 15 officials.
Two of the Muslim officials at the 102-staff Ministry of Steel is an Under Secretary. Three of the 84 officials at the Ministry of Tourism are Muslims, including a Deputy Secretary. Tribal Affairs Ministry counts two Muslims among its 107 officials, including an Under Secretary. Six Ministries – Coal, Earth Sciences, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Railways, Textiles, and Women and Child Development have a total of 506 officials without a single Muslim.
At the Department level, Muslim representation among the officials is miserably low. Two of the 63 officials at Atomic Energy are Joint Directors. Five of the 644 officials at the Agriculture and Farmers Welfare are Muslims, including a Secretary and an Additional Secretary. Five of the 285 officials at the Department of Telecommunications are Muslims, including four directors. Six of 214 officials at the Department of Posts are Muslims, including an additional Director-General and a Director.
One of the three Muslim officials among the 185 at the Food and Public Distribution is an Assistant Director. One of the 54 officials at the Department of Defence is a Muslim, a Finance Manager of Air Service. The Department of Defence Production counts four Muslims among its 90 officials, including the Chief Production Officer.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has one Muslim among its 16 officials – the Director-General of Aeronautical Systems. Two are Muslims among the 70 officials at the two departments – Meteorology and Higher Education, School Education & Literacy – a Director and Joint Secretary. Two of the seven Muslim officials among the 333 staff at the Department of Economic Affairs are Directors.
Two of the 109 officials at the Department of Financial Services are Muslims, a Joint Secretary and an Under Secretary. Of the 162 officials at the Department of Revenue, two are Muslims, including a Commissioner of Income Tax Affairs. The Secretary of the Department of Public Enterprises is a Muslim, one of three Muslims among the 67 officials.
Among the 244 officials at the Department of Planning and Training, three are Muslims including an Under Secretary. In the Land Resources Department, two of the 63 officials are Muslims, including one Deputy Secretary. Similar is the number at the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, with two Muslim officials including an Under Secretary. Four of the Muslim officials among the total of 61 at the Department of Youth Affairs include an Under Secretary.
The 11 Departments that have no Muslim officials in their ranks are – Space; Animal Husbandry and Dairying; Consumer Affairs; Ex-Servicemen Welfare; Military Affairs’ Investment and Public Asset Management; Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation; Legislative Affairs; Justice, Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances; and Sports. All these departments had a total of 476 officials.
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